Obama Nomination: MLK's Dream Fulfilled?
By John Jessup
CBN News Washington Correspondent
August 28, 2008
CBNNews.com - DENVER - It comes as no surprise that blacks comprise some of Barack Obama's strongest supporters. But many African Americans say their support isn't just about race.
A Major Milestone
From the stage to the stands, black, white, and every hue in between -they're here to support Obama.
Today, Obama makes history formally accepting the top spot on a major party ticket.
But Thursday marks another major milestone: The 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most famous speech.
Two of King's children came to the convention. Daughter Bernice says her father knew this day would come.
"Daddy's last words from April 3, 1968 were 'I may not get there with you,' but he foresaw this day unfolding," said Bernice King.
But his oldest son, Martin, believes history might have come sooner.
"Had my father lived and had Robert Kennedy lived maybe we would've gotten to this milestone - because this is a milestone in the history of our nation - earlier," commented Martin Luther King III.
More Than Race
Older African Americans say Obama's candidacy isn't just about race but past experiences and how much things have changed.
"I'm old enough to have lived prior to the 60s and be alert and aware and be refused admission to hotels. I'm old enough to remember when my wife was told she couldn't use a bathroom. So this is like a dream," Bishop Charles E. Blake of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ said.
But if Obama wants to become President he'll have to connect with white working class voters - a segment of the population he had trouble with during the primaries.
Still, civil rights leaders say regardless of the outcome, Obama's nomination represents a win for the nation.
"We're come to a point now in the greatest nation in face of the Earth that can say we were part of the. next extension of that movement and that dream," said Kweisi Mfume.
And so we're left remembering the legacy of Dr. King, his indelible impact on american society, and the strides that have been made -- even making it possible for a person like Obama to become a nominee for President of the United States.
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